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PERSPECTIVES - Woodbury - South Maplewood

This swirl of glass full of small flowers inside is called Garden Memories, created in 2009 by Rick Ayotte. This modern piece is on display at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah. (Pamela O’Meara/Review)

The Fox Cities area is full of surprises

Who would have thought that in 1882, the beautiful Victorian Hearthstone home overlooking the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin, would be the first home in the world to be lighted by hydroelectricity from a central station using the Thomas Edison system?
The event put the area on the map and launched unimaginable changes in how people cooked, cleaned, lived and entertained themselves in their homes.

Just two years after the events chronicled in "Minnesota's Oldest Murder Mystery," this was the "Chapel of St. Paul," built on land claimed by Edward Phalen and the late (and mysteriously departed) William Hays. (Minnesota Historical Society)

It's been said before — and often in a newsroom — "You couldn't make this stuff up."

A never-ending sea of tourists descends on French Quarter every year to see its iconic Spanish architecture, sample the local foods and listen to the amazing music. (Mary Lee Hagert/Review)

Surprisingly, the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and catastrophic levee breaks simply was not on my family's radar as we packed our bags in anticipation of an August road trip to New Orleans.

In the far background, the Eagle River Light Station sits on a bluff overlooking the river and offers stunning river view. (Pamela O’Meara/Review)

It's beautiful country, steeped in history and a half-day drive away
While the winters may be extreme, Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula is beautiful year-round. Its hilly terrain is covered by hardwood and conifer trees; scenic waterfalls mark its rivers, and it boasts of miles of shoreline and many inland lakes. Wherever you are on the peninsula, you’re never more than 10 miles from Lake Superior. It’s a haven for people who enjoy nature and outdoor activities – no matter what the season.

Multiple Sclerosis Society meets the 2nd Thursday of every month, except July and August at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church, 1669 N. Arcade St. in St. Paul from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Call Joan at 651-426-3220 for more information.

Co-owner of LUV Ice Cream, Susanna Gorodisher, 50, stands in front of the company’s new manufacturing building at 2590 E. Seventh Avenue, North St. Paul. (Erin Hinrichs/Review)

Owners blend passion for sweets with healthy living
When Susanna, 50, and Ilya Gorodisher, 52, set out to craft a sugar-free ice cream, they began surveying what other cultures use for sweeteners. With family ties to Italy and Russia, respectively, their research brought them around the world.
It wasn't until they reached South America that they found a substitute they thought could rival refined sugar. But they knew it couldn't stand on its own.